Demons Within
by MK Shinobi38
Summary: Centuries after a war between humans and demons, the bitter rivalry still rages between the two "Sealing" nations, the Fire Nation and Soul Society. They decide to have a tournament to see who's stronger, the tainted Shinobi or the pure Shinigami.
1. Prolouge The Hell War

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

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><p><em><strong>Demons Within<strong>_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_I tried to understand him. _

*CLANG!*

_I guess it was futile._

As he vaulted over his opponent, his sharp blue eyes saw an opening. He instantly launched a handful of shuriken.

_Retarded blond. Why doesn't he get it?_

Sharp pain erupted from his thigh. _Dangit! One of those stupid blade things. Shuriken was it? Whatever. _"Getsuga TENSHOU!"

The blond landed and spun to face his orange-haired opponent , greeted by a wave of bluish-white energy. It enveloped his whiskered face, expression showing surprise that quickly shifted to panic.

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><p>In a World with demons, man quickly learned that banding together meant survival. Individual families joined to form clans, which in turn found other clans and created "nations". Nations stood together against the onslaught of the Hell demons and the tailed beasts.<p>

The first wave of demons was the Summons. Irregularly large toads or snakes were seen roaming the countryside in clans. Humans were afraid of them, and often hunted them or just avoided them. They eventually made direct contact with humans, stating their peaceful intentions and telling the story of their misfortune. Their World became corrupted by the sinister power of the "many tailed monsters" residing within. Its equilibrium was thrown off, causing its natural forces to slow down or reverse. The World eventually started to burn, and the only escape was to leave. Humans welcomed them, so long as they surrendered some of their kind as servants for the humans. These became known as the Summons, because they could be called or "summoned" at any time for help.

As time went on sightings of otherworldly and spectral creatures were reported. They were large, monstrous creatures with terrifying white masks and holes in their chests. These reports were largely ignored, people disbelieving the ghost stories. They were ignored, that is, until these "Hollow" started attacking clans. Not knowing how to combat them, the humans turned the Summons for help. The only explanation they could give is that they were simply the mindless souls of their former comrades.

For most demons, the only way to cross the barrier between worlds was to abandon your mind and allow your essence to come through. The only trouble is, once on the other side, one was just an insane monster, warped by the passage through the barrier. So, in essence, one exchanged its sanity for a mask that would bind it to the world. The Summons were demons who found an alternate route. They simply possessed the will-less bodies of animals that were already in the world, abandoning their physical bodies instead of their minds. They still remained powerful, but they lost their humanoid shape.

Because of the rising number of Hollow attacks, humans decided they needed to be eliminated. Hunting parties were formed to track the Hollow and destroy them. This daunting task was easier said than done. Many of the first movements against the Hollow resulted in destruction of entire villages, leaving the villagers scarred both physically and psychologically.

During some of the earlier skirmishes, it was found that the masks that the Hollow wear are the only medium binding them to this world. These were granted by the World in exchange for their minds. Once destroyed, its soul returns back to Hell, as the other world became known. With the knowledge of how to effectively kill them, Hollow became much less of a problem. Peace is only temporary where there is evil, though.

They arrived with fury and destruction. The tailed beasts, or Bijuu, had had enough of their ruined World and decided to follow where so many others had already escaped to. Because of their , they were able to breach the barrier between worlds, opening a hole to Hell without sacrificing their minds or bodies. The Gate, as it was dubbed, actually opened the barrier for any demons to pass through. The corrupted spirits of Hell then poured out to vanquish this newfound World in the name of the Kyuubi, leader of the Bijuu.

Clans were slaughtered, villages were leveled, and nations cowered, submitting themselves to the Bijuu and the Kyuubi. They were tricked with the promise of mercy, only to end up food for the tailed-beasts, or slaves for the army. Torture and rape were not uncommon for the poor victims of the scourge.

The Summons felt responsible for the state the World was in and vowed to help the humans fight back. In order to help them, they taught them about the energy of the World that was inside them, divided into pathways that ran through their bodies. Some called it chakra, others called it reiatsu. The Summons instructed humans in the use of this energy, teaching them how to create techniques to combat the Hell demons.

The techniques greatly strengthened human forces, but the strength of the Hell demons was so overwhelming already that they were still far short of matching their enemy's power. So while Summons were instructing them in the use of chakra or reiatsu, humans were creating more effective and powerful weapons. Most of the more common weapons were adaptations of farming tools, swords being fashioned from machetes and spears or pikes from pitchforks. Weapon smiths soon emerged, creating new weapons that were more efficient for killing, often times being composed of metals that channeled the energy of the wielder.

Once equipped both with weapons and techniques, humans were able to match the strength of the demons. Two nations that became more prevalent among the peoples were the Nation of Fire and Soul Society. They both stood out because of their special sealing techniques that they developed to combat the demons.

The Fire Nation, so named because of their burning passion on the field and their prowess with fire jutsu, as they called it, was home to the Shinobi, or death servants. They created sealing jutsu that would capture a demons raw power and extract it from its body, leaving behind its will. Without their chakra, the demons life force would be stripped, and they would die.

Some of the demons had special properties acquired from their corruption in Hell. Some had powerful eyes, while others could manipulate shadows. When a Shinobi absorbed one of these more powerful demons, the powers were transferred over to his body, forever augmenting his combat abilities. These changes became hereditary, and were referred to as Bloodline Limits. Clans with Bloodline Limits soon became prevalent in the Fire Nation.

Soul Society took a completely different turn with its sealing techniques. They didn't believe in stealing the demons powers, claiming that humans with demon reiatsu would become as corrupted as the demons themselves. The Shinigami, or death gods, focused on bettering themselves and their weapons. They created the Zanpakuto, a sword that became bound to its user upon creation. The sword was created through a special ritual that took place at a Shinigami's initiation into the training academy.

Since Shinigami had no interest in the demon's power, they developed a sealing technique that would simply expel the demons from the World and send them to a special World that the Shinigami had found. It was an uninhabited World with an exceptionally powerful barrier, making escape impossible. They named it Hueco Mundo.

With the rising threat of the "Sealing Nations", the Kyuubi became more ambitious in his campaign against the humans. He became all the more ruthless, increasing the number of troops on the field at the cost of the protection of the Gate, the passageway to Hell. His idea was to subdue the weaker nations and then focus full attention on the Sealing nations.

What he didn't account for was the Sealing nations abandoning the other nations completely and focusing full force on the Gate. The Fire Nation and Soul Society wrote up a treaty, where they agreed to work together until the war was over. Together they assaulted the weaker forces at the Gate, and easily overcame them. The Shinigami were left to guard and find a way to close the Gate, while the Shinobi went after the Kyuubi and the other Bijuu. What Soul Society didn't know was that the Fire Nation was enterprising on the arrangement, all too anxious to bind the souls of the tailed beasts into their soldiers.

The Fire Nation was careful not to underestimate the Bijuu, and made sure to create a flawless sealing jutsu. The overwhelming power and will of the Bijuu would crush the body of any host they could supply. It would be impossible to try to separate the chakra from the body of the beast. That much chakra would destroy the body before it entered. The only way to seal them was to convert the physical body into a container for the beast, and then seal the whole thing. Even this would not work very well, though, for having the sinister will of a tailed beast inside would break the spirit and mind of any adult human.

The solution was to use newborns. At birth, a baby has no will to break. Experience creates a will, a resolution. Babies would simply be containers that could be trained. Then, as they would grow, the children could be trained to harden their will, and its body would adapt to the power of the tailed beast. They could eventually be trained to take control of the Bijuu's power and use it as their own. Thus, the most powerful Shinobi alive could be created.

And so, the Jinchuuriki were created. The Shinobi hunted down and sealed all of the tailed beasts within newborn children. And with the Kyuubi sealed, the remaining Hell demons were simply hunted down and destroyed. After the closing of the Gate, the Hell demon invasion became a memory. Well, at least for most.

The two Sealing nations forever remember the crisis. Bitter at the betrayal of the Shinobi, the Shinigami broke off all ties with them, promptly ending the treaty. They even rejected their Summon helpers, never forgiving that they led the Bijuu to this World and that they were originally demons themselves. Also, the Shinigami had a deeper secret.

The Hollow, now a long disregarded enemy, had been massing and beginning to form wills of their own. Understanding each other, they grouped together and formed a disorganized army of sorts. While the Shinigami were at the Gate, Soul Society was left with little to no defence. The Hollow marched on them, slaughtering the civilians and razing the village. The survivors were left infected, their seed mixed with the demons they so despised. Returning to their home in the state it was in was enough to send many of the warriors into a rampage. Needless to say, the Hollow there were obliterated. Now with nowhere else to direct their fury, the Shinigami began "cleansing" their seed. All who had been attacked became hunted by the Shinigami, and few escaped. They fled to smaller nations to start over, utterly betrayed by their own.

The Shinobi, on the other hand, embraced the Summons, creating homes for them where they could settle down and establish clans. The Shinobi made jutsu that would allow people to make contracts with the Summons and conjure them for aid in battle or other matters. In the end, it came down to Shinigami rejecting the demons, and Shinobi embracing them wholeheartedly.

And in secret, both sides who carried demons within were carefully nurtured and shaped into the most powerful warriors the World had ever witnessed. The Bijuu were passed down through the generations, and the taint of the Hollow was passed through from each father or mother to their children.

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><p>Author's Note: I realize that this part has absolutely nothing to do with Naruto or Bleach. This entire chapter only serves to show how I combined the two universes (if that's a word) and to create a setting. This setting is completely mine, the characters and location names are not. This kind of turned into Bleach being wedged into Naruto-verse, but know I tried to balance it. All comments greatly appreciated, especially comments pertaining to grammar usage and possible story balance.<p> 


	2. What's a Wee Competition Between Rivals?

"Hokage-sama, concerning our compromise, I don't believe that you have been holding up your end of the agreement. Your caravans continue to use our routes, making them unsanitary and tainted. We are constantly sending out sealing teams to ward off the lingering corruption. Now I—"

"Captain-Commander Genryusai, I am aware of your reasons for calling this meeting. You couldn't care less about the trade routes. You simply want to escalate a meaningless dispute into a war. All you care about is the elimination of my Shinobi, which you believe to be tainted. However, let me remind you of something, Genryusai. The war is over, the demons are gone, and you know as well as I do that our soldiers cannot transmit their Bloodline Limits by simply walking your roads. This is why they are called 'Bloodline Limits.'" Danzou's flat tone aggravated the Commander, despite his equally expressionless face belying how tense he was. "Furthermore, you are in my territory, making false claims in a very rude fashion."

"Forgive me Hokage but the war is not over! So long as those demons you call Summons infest this World and your Bloodline Limit clans exist, there is no safety. What about the Uchiha? Or the Kaguya? The problems they have caused alone are enough reason for concern. And that's excluding the Jinchuuriki! What if they rampage? What if they escape? Wha—"

"What about it?" Again Genryusai was cut off. Captain Ukitake winced as he felt his commander's anger building. A slight tremor ran through the Hokage's office. "The clans have been dealt with, and the revolts weren't the result of demon's power. The clan leaders simply thought themselves better than the rest, and their underlings followed them loyally. The Kaguya were destroyed, and the Uchiha were removed to the outskirts of Konoha. As far as the tailed beasts are concerned, if they escape, we will seal them again like we did three-hundred years ago. The Bijuu themselves have been more submissive recently. They seem to have given up, seeing as they have failed to escape every time we've transferred them to their next host. We are more than capable of dealing with our own assets. You're just afraid of the power of the Shinobi."

"_Arrogant bastard," _thought Byakuya, who by now had heard his fill of Danzou's rantings. His rising anger was nothing compared to the wrath contained in the Commander, though.

"You listen here, Hokage!" A deepening haze seemed to fill the room as the furniture trembled from the Commanders suppressed anger. "Mind you the only reason I do not give the order to raze this Village to the ground is because I do not want my allies involved in _our_ dispute. They have been able to forget the Gate, and the Hell demons, and now live in peace under the shadow of Soul Society. They don't even remember where the name comes from." Genryusai pointed his staff at Danzou. "But you seem to only be able to remember the demons! You cling to them like relics, hide them like treasures, and then flaunt them proudly in the face of a greater power! You belittle me when I humbly come to your territory to settle a minor disp—"

"Yes, MY territory!" Danzou rose as he cut off the Captain-Commander for the third, and final, time. "You come into my office and start pointing your walking stick at me, while you fail to realize your own hypocrisy. These fears you've been spouting are just like the relics you accuse me of hoarding. You're just afraid of your own weakness, afraid to involve your allies because you fear you can't protect them. You're afr—"

"YOU SAY THAT WORD ONE MORE TIME AND I WILL RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE!" Danzou was cut off, by Ukitake no less. Realizing he was out of place, he immediately stepped, rather staggered with weakness, back to his position by the Commander. "Forgive me, I spoke out of place."

"No, that's quite all right. I tire of this conversation anyway." Danzou glanced at Ukitake with a little smirk on his face. "I propose a challenge, Genryusai-_sama_," said Danzou with a full measure of arrogance in his tone. "Why don't we have a little competition, a tournament much like the final stage of our Chuunin exams here in Konoha. You select your 10 best upcoming Shinigami, and I will choose my 10 best upcoming Shinobi. You cannot use any Captains, and I cannot use any of my Jounin that have held the rank more than two years. Do we have a deal?"

"I oppose the idea entirely," said Genryusai, finally calm after Ukitake filled in on the shouting for him. "It will be disgraceful to send my pure Shinigami into a petty competition against your tainted soldiers."

"Shall I say the word again?" questioned Danzou with a very mischievous tone.

"Only if you want to lose your other eye," said Byakuya, already reaching for Senbonzakura. The ANBU concealing themselves in the shadows had their kunai drawn and were ready to evacuate Danzou, if need be.

"Still your tongue, boy," reprimanded Genryusai. Addressing Danzou, "This is a matter of honor, Danzou. I'm not afraid of you. I simply understand that no Shinigami of mine would want to even look at your Shinobi, let alone face them in a competition that has no weight beyond old disagreements. I refuse."

"How about some stakes? Name what you want, and I will give it to you if your Shinigami emerge victorious."…

_Ten minutes of discussion and dispute later._

"Done," was the Commanders dry response. Ukitake just about had a coronary.

"Captain-Commander, we can't have our soldiers participate in such a tournament! They won't stand for it!"

"They don't stand for anything! That is why I their leader must be strong and stand for them!"

"I don't doubt your strength, Commander, it's just—"

"Enough, Ukitake! You're far older than me but you act as such a child." Byakuya's cold rebuke cut through Ukitake's protests, leaving him silent.

Once again relieved to not be the one shouting, his voice being as bad as it was, the Commander made his way to the door. "We will hold this tournament in the stadium at Karakura Town. It has served us well in the past and is in a central location. The stadium itself already has ward facilities set up in order to contain the battles. Also, tourists frequent the area, often coming to see the stadium. If there are competitions they will be drawn to the stadium, where we can make a little revenue off of this event."

"There is no dispute as to the location, Genryusai-sama," said Danzou.

"And Hokage," Genryusai turned back to face Danzou, "Don't think our dispute over the roads is over. I just don't have the patience to deal with any more today."

"Don't worry about the roads, Captain-Commander. I will make sure my men know the contract and honor it." With that, Danzou sat back down and watched his guests leave, a smug smile on his face. He knew he had struck a deep chord with his demand. Even though the stakes were high, he was perfectly confident that his Shinobi, a few of them being Jinchuuriki, would do fine in the tournament. He didn't even feel the need to think about losing.

In reality, he had been preparing for the tournament before he even convinced Genryusai to agree to it. He knew that the man operated within a code of honor, and attacking that honor was the easiest way to get what one wanted. Finally, the chance to show the World that the Shinobi are the greatest warriors, and the Shinigami are just fearful children cowering from monsters under the bed.

His list of selections already made, Danzou snapped his fingers. Two ANBU landed in front of his desk. "Take this list to ROOT, find these people, and bring them here. Should they resist, tell them they don't have a choice. This is the Hokage's personal choice. If they continue to resist, use appropriate force, but do not seriously injure them. We need them in top combat condition. When approaching the Jinchuuriki, have two back up squads ready with fast acting sedatives or paralysis techniques. I don't expect any resistance, seeing as my Shinobi are more than excited about showing themselves off to those self-righteous Shinigami." Danzou let out a little chuckle, imagining again the glory of winning the upcoming tournament. The two ANBU who were still waiting for the command to leave looked at each other, then at their Hokage. Remembering that they were still there, Danzou quickly said go, and looked away as the ANBU disappeared in an instant.

Meanwhile, outside the Hokage building, in the Captain-Commander's carriage:

"We will have an official meeting the moment we return to Soul Society. Open the Tsukaimon!" The Shinigami directing the carriage drew his Zanpakuto and thrust it into what appeared to be thin air. He turned it once. Immediately, a set of sliding doors appeared, opening to reveal a tunnel of brilliant light. The Shinigami donning an afro then guided the carriage into the Tsukaimon, disappearing along with it when the doors closed shut behind them.


	3. WHO COULD THAT BE AT THIS HOUR?

Kuchiki Rukia rose abruptly, startled by a loud rapping on her door. "_Ugh, Renji, do you ever sleep?" _She glanced over at the tuft of orange hair resting on one of her pink pillows. "_How do you always sleep so peacefully?" _She thought, smiling gently. She reached her hand out to caress the messy locks, retracting it quickly when the knocking came a second time, louder and even more annoying. "_If it is Abarai I swear I'll remove those tattoos myself, and most of his skin along with them!" _Rukia slid out of bed, careful to pick up her Zanpakuto on the way out. Hers was so small when compared to Zangetsu. "_I need to remind him to keep his sword off my tile. He keeps on scratching it." _

She finally reached the door, just as the third round of knocking began. "Dangit, who do you think you are? Knocking at my door at this hour? I have half a mind to…." Her voice trailed off when she realized it was her Captain. "I'm so sorry Captain! Forgive me, I didn't realize—"

"That's quite alright Lieutenant Kuchiki. I realize that it is very late, or very early, depending upon how you look at things." He chuckled to himself. The two heard a light padding as Kurosaki Ichigo walked up.

"Hmmyawww, what's with all the screaming this early, Rukia—Oh! Good morning Ukitake-san."

"Good morning Ichigo, I see you spent the night again."

"Yeah, I was over here with Rukia and Renji, and we lost track of time. Renji lives close by, so he went home. I'm so far away I just figured I'd stay here."

Ukitake was about to ask why Ichigo didn't go to stay at Renji's house, but that was conversation for another time. Besides, Rukia was obviously annoyed with the two men for completely ignoring her. Her clenched fists and bowed head were testament to that, not to mention the slight chill that was emanating from her sword. Ukitake needed to move fast. "Well, the reason for my visit this late at night is to inform you, Kuchiki Rukia, that you have been selected for a special mission. There will by 9 other Shinigami accompanying you on this mission. You are to meet at Karakura Town in 2 weeks. You will be given details once you have rendezvoused with your teammates."

"What is the mission about, Captain?" asked Ichigo.

"Like I said, Lieutenant Rukia will be given instructions once she arrives."

"Yeah, but—OOF!"

"Yes sir, Captain," said Rukia, after elbowing Ichigo in the stomach. Ichigo fell to the floor, trying to catch his breath. With a pained smile, Ukitake bowed, and proceeded on his way. She turned around to face Ichigo. "You idiot! Didn't you see he was trying to keep it a secret?" She tried to mask the worry in her voice with anger. In truth, she was a bit concerned over how closely Ukitake guarded the information. "Something's up, and I don't like it. Captain Ukitake is rarely so defensive of information. He normally fills me in on details even when Captain-Commander forbids it." Rukia nibbled on her knuckle while she thought. Ichigo coughed as he stood up, finally catching his breath. She raised her eyes to meet Ichigo's. "What do you think?"

"You're asking my opinion?" said Ichigo in a half surprised tone. "Well, I think that whatever the mission is, you and the rest of the team would do well to be prepared for anything. If you're going to be informed when you get there, there will have to be a Captain there to deliver the information. They obviously want a lot of muscle, considering they are sending ten Shinigami and a Captain to take care of the problem. I think I'll tag along too, just so I can make sure your safe."

"No, Ichigo, Captain Ukitake did not extend an invitation for you to accompany the mission. Just because you've proven yourself a powerful warrior doesn't mean that Captain-Commander has accepted you as a Shinigami. I think you need to lay low for a bit, for your own sake."

"Just my sake?" Asked Ichigo mischievously. Rukia looked down in mock shame.

"And for my sake too, you idiot." She looked up again, a soft smile on her face. He drew close to her, forcing him to look almost straight down in order to maintain eye contact. She looked down at his hand, reached out, and took it in her hand. Rukia smiled as she remembered how peaceful Ichigo looked that morning. And then she remembered how early it was, as well as how tired she was. She leaned into Ichigo. "Let's go back to bed, I wanna sleep." Ichigo placed his hand on her head.

"Yes, boss. I'll even carry you there." She let him pick her up, sliding gracefully into place in his arms, her arms around his neck. Carefully, he walked to her bedroom. "_This would have been a nightmare at my place, hehe," _Ichigo thought, picturing the minefield that was his living room. "_I need to clean up before I let her in tomorrow. Or today, rather."_

Once he made it to her bed, Ichigo laid her down gently, making sure to not wake her up from the half-asleep state she was in. Then, he practically collapsed next to her. Her bed couldn't take the stress from his body falling onto it, and the legs bowed out in the front and back, collapsing onto the floor.

"Nice going, idiot."

"Shut up, witch."

"Witch?"…

Ichigo regretted his words while shivering in the cold waiting for Renji to answer his door.

_Around the same time:_

_Fire Nation, Konoha, Hokage's office._

"You all have been summoned for a very special assignment. You should feel privileged to have been called here tonight. Two weeks from now you will be representing the Shinobi of this nation in a tournament against the Shinigami!" Danzou paused to allow the news to settle in.

"You mean we finally get to show those stuck up Shinigami whose boss! YEAH! This is what we've been waiting for Akamaru!" Inuzuka Kiba performed an aerial fist-pump with Akamaru running circles around him in excitement. Rock Lee screamed something about eternal youth of the Shinobi, while TenTen and Hyuuga Neji frowned at his lack of reverence for the Hokage. Not everyone was so thrilled to hear of their "assignment", though.

"Wait, why are we doing this? We're just having a random tournament out of nowhere?" Yamanaka Ino was annoyed at being summoned to the Hokage's office this late, only to find out that she was being forced to participate in what she called "a man's barbaric way of handling things." "What if we don't want to participate?"

"You don't have a choice," said Danzou flatly. "This is a mission, one to show that we, the nation who embraced the demon's power and made it our own, are superior to those blasted Shinigami. This tournament is the result of 300 years of conflict between us two nations. It will show the people of this World that we are indeed powerful, and a force to be respected. It will show that our nation is greater, and effectively end our petty disputes. People will come to us for protection, not go to them. They will thereby be forced to pay tribute to us, serve us, and so on. This is not simply a tournament. It will decide our fate as a nation!"

"It is a chance to test our own individual skills as well, Yamanaka," Said a cold voice from the corner of the room. One would not have recognized who he was save for the red glint of the Sharingan that marked the owner of the voice an Uchiha.

Haruno Sakura glanced over at Ino, a smirk on her face after hearing Sasuke reprimand Ino. The blonde just turned her chin up and looked the other way.

"Only blood-thirsty people like you, Sasuke, are interested in showing off their skills." Shino, still wearing his sunglasses in spite of it being dark outside, stared down the Uchiha he had just rebuked. "To some, honor is just as important as their power. Mindless displays of power prove nothing." Sasuke just shrugged.

"Glad to see there are still a few good Shinobi under my command," Said Danzou.

"Hokage-sama, what sort of a tournament is it?" Hyuuga Hinata said, concern in her voice. She never wanted anyone to get hurt, regardless of whether they were Shinobi or Shinigami.

"It will be a tournament where combatants from each side will face off in combat, with different types of matches delivering a certain amount of points. It will be comparable to the Chuunin exams." Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji were almost asleep by now, both entirely bored of the conversation and already tired from being up so late. Standing next to each other, they both started to sway in opposite directions, resulting in a resounding *CLOP* from their heads butting. They both fell to the ground in pain.

"And then there's some Shinobi who aren't worthy of the title," said Danzou, frowning at the two sitting on the floor, rubbing their heads.

"So, there won't be any fatalities in this tournament, right Hokage-sama?" said a somewhat worried Sakura. She knew she didn't come from a clan, and therefore already had a disadvantage from not having any special powers.

"I cannot guarantee anything. We will stop the match when one of the combatants is rendered unable to fight. Whether the loser dies or not is entirely up to his opponent. If one kills the other before the match can be stopped, then so be it. The tournament will carry on. Killing the opponent does not count against you."

"That's good to know," said the cold voice from the corner again. This time Sakura shivered after hearing Sasuke's input.

"Don't worry, Sakura," said Neji. "Consider it a good thing that we mustn't worry about killing our opponents. It allows us to fight freely without pulling our punches. You don't have to make it your goal to kill the other combatant, just keep in mind that you won't be penalized for doing so." Neji's dry tone didn't help much to calm Sakura.

From the other corner of the room came a more sinister tone. "If you cannot bring yourself to kill another person, than how can you call yourself a Shinobi. Killing the enemy should always be your goal!"

"They are not the enemy, Sabaku no Gaara," said Tenten. "They are simply a nation we haven't gotten along well with."

"Oh, but they are the enemy, child," said Danzou, his voice sharing the same killing intent as the One-Tails Jinchuuriki. "They despise us for merging our power with that of demons and sheltering our Summons. They fear the changes that occurred in the Shinobi, as well as the possibility of a revolt amongst the Summons. They fear events that will not happen, and therefore shun us, marking Shinobi as tainted half-breed humans. Yes, they are our enemies!" The room fell silent from the tenseness Danzou's words created. "Back to business, concerning the rules of the tournament, as we've discussed, killing will not be penalized. Fight as honorably and as fiercely as you can. Each team will have ten participants, combatants being eliminated from individual losses. There will be some team events, and points will decide the winner. All of the rules will be repeated before each match."

"Wait, you said that there were ten to a team. What about our tenth participant?"

"The Nine-Tails host will meet you there. He has been a little more difficult to bring in," said Danzou, frustration in his voice.

"Why?" asked Sakura.

"Honestly, in spite of his appearance, he is a very powerful shinobi, as well as an elusive one. He evades my ANBU and refuses to report to me."

"Did he say why he wouldn't come in?" inquired Neji. Hinata gasped as if she had remembered something important.

"His excuse was that he had plans and was waiting for someone."

"It wasn't an excuse, you bastard. I was waiting to meet my date." Everyone in the room turned towards the window to see a young man with spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes, wearing an orange jumpsuit. In his hand was a bouquet of tulips. He dropped down and walked across the room to Hinata, to whom he handed the flowers. "If I had known she was already here I would have come right away." Hinata bounced with joy at seeing the boy, and leapt into his arms. "I was beginning to worry. Sorry I missed our date. ANBU contacted me just as I was heading out."

"That's alright. I was kind of a weird time to go out to eat anyway."

Sasuke stood up. "Late as always, dimwit."

"Nice to see you too, Sasuke." The Jinchuuriki walked over and gave his best friend a bro-hug, after which he turned to acknowledge his other friend across the room.

"The fox finally shows. I was wondering where you were."

"Well, I typically don't have ANBU trying to keep me from my girl, raccoon." The red-head chuckled at the blonde's words.

Haruno Sakura stared confusedly at the late arrival. He seemed to have such a positive air about him, but he was good friends with the two scariest and most dangerous ninja in the room. And his girlfriend was one of the shyest people she knew, though she seemed to light up when he showed up. And, past all of that, there was something strangely familiar about him. What was his name?

Danzou finally spoke: "Thank you for joining us, Naruto."


	4. Let's Hit the Road!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Kishimoto owns Naruto. Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

Author's Note: So this update took a little longer what with the holidays and all. Hope you enjoy. Almost to the action. Maybe one or two more chapters. Be sure to review!

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><p>Sakura couldn't take her eyes off him.<p>

After setting out on the road to Karakura Town, the travelling Shinobi subconsciously fell into place beside their regular teammates and best friends. Sakura and Ino fell towards the back of the group, while Naruto and his circle of friends moved towards the front. This gave Sakura and excellent vantage point from which to study this Naruto. She examined everything about him, from his bright orange pants, to tips of his spiky hair. One of his features that really intrigued her was the whiskers on his face. She had just noticed them when Ino caught on to what she was doing. She paid for not hiding what she was doing when Ino tried to introduce Sakura to the stranger. It wasn't that Ino knew Naruto, she just didn't have a problem introducing Sakura to anyone, especially if it would turn the rosette's face the color of her hair.

Finally managing to fight off Ino, Sakura fell back into her place at the rear. No longer tempted to stare at the blonde boy, her mind travelled back to the events following his entrance in Danzou's office.

"_Thank you for joining us, Uzumaki Naruto."_

"_I should be thanking you Danzou-gii, your introduction was quite flattering," responded Naruto, a wry smile on his face. Just then, two ANBU landed in front of the Hokage._

"_Hokage-sama! We were sent by the squad leader to inform you that he has lost the Jinchuuriki and that he is heading this way. We are here to protect you in the event of an—"_

"_Hey guys, wassup?" The two ANBU turned their heads to see a massive grin outlined by spiky blonde hair. Immediately they jumped to defensive stances, drawing their kunai and preparing to form seals. _

"_Stand down, soldiers, he's already been here for about ten minutes. He would have attacked already if that was his intention. Uzumaki Naruto is here because I summoned him."_

"He's ten minutes ahead of ANBU?" _thought Sakura. She couldn't believe it._

"_Actually, I'm here because I was looking for Hinata, and I found her, so now we'll be on our way." Naruto took Hinata's hand and started for the__ door. He glanced over at Sakura on his way out._

_Danzou called behind them, "We are not finished here, Naruto. You do not have permission to leave."_

"_When have I ever asked your permission to go on a date?" Naruto looked back and smiled broadly at the Hokage, then continued towards the door. The two ANBU landed in front of him and his company. Naruto's countenance fell. "You two like stories?" The ANBU looked at each other confusedly. " How about the one concerning where your captain is right now?" The ANBU shook a little at the sudden coldness in the Jinchuuriki's voice._

"_He's still pursuing you and will arrive shortly." The male ninja tried to sound confident, hoping he was right. He wasn't._

"_Well, if you consider pursuing me lying unconscious in a ditch while his med-nin try to revive him, then yes, he is currently pursuing me." At this comment there were more than a few gasps, as well as a chuckle from both corners of the room. _

_At that, Naruto walked out of the room, Hinata blushing and muttering apologies to the people in the room, especially the Hokage. Danzou sighed in frustration, dispatched his ANBU to look after their sleeping superior, and then dismissed the rest of his Shinobi._

Sakura snapped out of her daze when she bumped into the solid back of the black-haired Uchiha.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke, I didn't mean to…." Her voice trailed off when she looked up. Before them was a small town with a massive stadium right in the center of it. It almost looked like a small tea cup with a saucer, as Lee pointed out enthusiastically.

Sakura was still gawking when Sasuke turned around. "Tch, like I care." Brought back to reality, once again by Sasuke, Sakura's face turned a brighter pink than her hair.

"I-I—"

"Don't apologize to that loser. He was the one who wasn't paying attention to what was behind him." The sudden voice from her left startled her, especially the voice of the mysterious blonde she'd been paying so much attention to. She never expected him to talk to her. There was only one way that Sakura knew how to cover her nervousness, and that was to respond aggressively to whatever made her nervous.

"He's not a loser you dick-head!" was Sakura's snappy response. She stormed off in the direction of Ino, making sure to keep her best friend between herself and the boy. Naruto was a little taken back, but shrugged it off and turned to chat with Gaara.

Finally, the guides had finished conversing with the Hokage and the accompanying Jounin, and the whole group was ready to head to where they would be quartered. As they headed out, almost everyone excited and ready to begin.

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><p>"All ready to go, Shorty?" Rukia's eyebrow twitched, but she didn't let his comment get to her.<p>

"Just about, Strawberry." Rukia was struggling over a provisions pouch she had set on the counter-top in her kitchen. Ichigo walked up behind and wrapped his arms around her stomach, nuzzling her neck. Her head twitched from his stubble tickling her cheek. "Ugh, that's giving me goose bumps, stop." Her half-hearted tone only encouraged Ichigo.

"That just lets me know you like it." He kissed her on the cheek, spun her around, and then rested his hands on her shoulder. "Well, you need to head out. Renji will be here any minute. Have fun! Be safe. See you when you get back."

"You had better be here when I get back, or wherever I find you will be your grave."

Ichigo smiled, "Naw, you couldn't kill me, you love me too much."

Rukia smiled mischievously at Ichigo. "Maybe I'll just cut off an appendage or two."

"If you cut off an arm or a leg, I wouldn't be able to protect you from danger anymore."

Rukia's smile twisted into an evil smirk. "I guess we'll have to settle for something else then, something not so important to your battle prowess." Ichigo gave a fearful smile, lifting his hands off her shoulders and taking a step back. They looked at each other for a moment, Ichigo still wearing the awkward expression, while Rukia stared back, her expression still a sinister grin. A knock at the door saved Ichigo.

"I'll bet that's Renji, here to pick you up." Ichigo hurried to the door. "_And save my butt, and my apendages."_ He shuddered at the thought as he opened the door to an over-excited Renji.

"Ohio, Ichigo! Ready to get going on our mission? I hear that there will be a lot of chances for epic battle, lots of enemies to fight, and plenty of glory to be—"

"I'm not going, Renji," said Ichigo, slightly annoyed at Renji's energetic demeanor.

"WHAT! But you told me—" A foot in the face shut him right up.

"Dang, your loud Abarai. It's too early for shouting." Ichigo lowered his foot as Rukia walked up to his side.

"What was that you told Renji?" Rukia had a scary expression on her face. Ichigo looked up and around for a way out of the question. Renji recognized Ichigo's peril and quickly stepped between the couple to save his orange haired friend.

"Well, Rukia, we need to go, Captain Kuchiki is waiting for us. See you around Ichigo." Renji waved to Ichigo as he grabbed Rukia by the hand and half-dragged her out of her house. Rukia protested, but to no avail. She gave up, and looked over her shoulder at Ichigo. He stood in the door-way, waving.

She called back to him, "You had better be there when I get back!" He nodded and then stepped back inside and closed the door. Once behind the door, it was his turn to start packing. He ran through the house to the back door. He opened it to face a flying Kurosaki Isshin, headed straight for him.

"IIIICCHHHIIIGOOOOO!" screamed his dad. Once again, a foot to the face seemed to do the trick.

"Ugh, your so annoying Dad." Isshin fell to the floor with a thud. Ichigo looked past his limp body to see Urahara Kisuke, a longtime friend of the family with questionable background. At the moment, he was a shop owner in Karakura Town. Ichigo nodded to Urahara. "Is everyone ready?" Isshin got up off the floor, finally serious.

"Everyone is ready for the tournament. We've come up with a way to get you in. Do the Shinigami still not know what the mission is about?"

Ichigo nodded again. "The Captains have told them nothing. The only Shinigami that knows what he's getting into is Renji, just because we needed someone on the inside that would actually help me. He knows what to do."

Urahara was pleased. "Good, good, we already have a candidate for removal, and then you will be there to fill his place, conveniently."

"Who are you kicking out of the tournament?" Ichigo asked. Isshin pulled a photo out of his kimono and handed it to Ichigo.

"His name is Zennosuke Kurumadani. He was assigned the watch position in Karakura Town after Rukia left to help you deal with the uprising."

"Hey, it's Afro Dude! I almost feel bad that were kicking him out, but it's probably for his own good. I mean, the Shinobi are probably going to enter their most powerful ninja into the tournament, and well, Afro Dude's not the strongest Shinigami there is. I'll say sorry later though, right now, we must eliminate him. What was the plan again?"

Urahara sighed, "You've forgotten already? We told everything except who the target was."

"Yeah, well, I had to deal with Rukia not finding out about us finding out what the secret mission was in Karakura Town. I was really stressed out, so it's no wonder I forgot."

"Real men don't make excuses, son. And what's this living with your girlfriend anyway?"

"She's not my girlfriend, we're just good friends!"

"Such good friends that you sleep in the same bed? At her house?" added Urahara slyly.

"It's only because I live so far away!" defended Ichigo. "This isn't about my relationship with Rukia anyway, we're here to get me into that tournament."

"Yes, yes, my poor, romantically involved son." Isshin chuckled as he walked out the door. Ichigo hung his head in defeat. He hurried to grab his stuff, and the three of them headed out for Karakura town.

"You never did answer my question about the plan," stated Ichigo. He had to make someone else forget something in order to redeem himself.

"We'll tell you on the way, Kurosaki-kun," said Urahara. Just then three more figures appeared before them. One was a rather large dark-skinned man, another a well-endowed girl, and the third a small, lean boy with glasses.

"Wassup guys? Ready to do this?" The three nodded, and the group set out.

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><p>Author's Note 2: So what you think? Be sure to review, love reviews. This was a bit tedious to write. Coming up with fill story to make it a wee more complete is sort of difficult. But hey, it's up, so hope you enjoyed it.<p> 


	5. Unpleasant Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Kishimoto owns Naruto and Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

Author's Note: We are so close! The tournament starts soon. However, we have another chapter of not the tournament to muscle through. Its been difficult writing this, but once the story picks up a bit, it should be easier to come out with chapters. Sorry that I'm a little late releasing this update. Work last week basically took all of my time. Between two jobs, it's difficult finding time to write. So here it is. Please review.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 : Unpleasant Revelations<strong>

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><p>The small room didn't seem large enough to accommodate a group of about sixteen Shinigami. The dim candlelight cast long shadows on the wooden walls. The Captain-Commander was sitting in the middle of the room on a small chair, five captains standing to either side of him. "Now that all of our entrants have gathered, we can reveal the details of this mission." Some of the Shinigami looked confusedly at each other. Matsumoto Rangiku spoke up first: "Entrants? What are you talking about, Captain-Commaner?"<p>

"I will explain," said the Commander firmly. "Ahem, you have all been selected to fight in a tournament. You will be facing the Shinobi in combat here at Karakura Town stadium." A low murmur came from the group of Shinigami.

"Why were we not informed of this before-hand?" protested Kira Izuru. The blond haired man never liked to be taken off guard, and especially hated surprise details in his assignments.

Captain Byakuya spoke up, "You were not informed because we knew that many of you would refuse to come if you were told that you were being selected come into direct contact with Shinobi. However, you are some of the strongest Shinigami we have, not including Captains. The less honorable Shinigami that would have accepted the invitation instantly are not as powerful as your group is, and we needed our best."

This irritated many of the Shinigami, and they began to protest loudly. Rukia remained quiet, pondering what was just revealed to her. She looked around the room, trying to block out the sound of the uproar. The short death god noticed that her red-haired friend was leaning against one of the pillars, surprisingly calm considering his character. Normally, news like this was enough to send Renji off on a violent rant, where he would end up shouting louder than anyone around him. His behavior was strange, and Rukia was just about to confront him when the Captain-Commander re-took control of the meeting.

"Silence! You are fighting in this tournament for the glory of Soul Society! Too long those Shinobi have looked down on us, considered us weak because we failed to embrace the demons that invaded this World so long ago. They believe that we are afraid of them and everything having to do with the monstrous power they have residing in their soldiers. We are here to show them their folly.

"Some consider this assignment petty and a waste of time and resources, even lives. However, they are wrong. There is no greater way to sacrifice your time, resources, and lives than to give them for the cause of upholding the righteous name of Soul Society and the Shinigami. Fight proudly for the sake of your home Nation, your brothers and sisters, and yourselves. But most of all," at this Genryusai paused, looking around the room. "Fight for your honor! Fight for Soul Society!"

The hall erupted in enthusiastic cheers. After Genryusai's speech, all doubts were blown away, leaving the Shinigami excited and ready to put the Shinobi in their place. Madarame Ikkaku seemed a little too enthusiastic to fight anything, and the prospect of fighting Shinobi practically made him glow. Ayasegawa Yumichika stood behind him, arms folded with an amused smile on his face. Kira Izuru was still a little uncomfortable with the situation, but the Commander's words helped to quell his anxiety.

"So the complete listing for our entrants is as follows: Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia, Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Matsumoto Rangiku, Kira Izuru, Shuhei Hisagi, Omaeda Marechiyo, Hinamori Momo, and Kurumadani Zennosuke. Is everyone present?" Yamamoto looked up to make sure that everyone was there, glancing around the room to check faces. There was one particular Shinigami that could be identified easier by a different feature, and he seemed to be missing. The Captain-Commander scanned the room twice, even though there was no way he could miss the afro in the first place. "Where is Zennosuke?" The rest of the Shinigami looked around at each other, no one coming up with an explanation. Little did they know that a certain strawberry haired teen-ager was closing the door to a closet in Urahara Shop, where a certain Shinigami sporting a rather large afro was gagged and bound, screaming through a rag that was shoved in his mouth.

…

"Wow, this is nostalgic!" said an enthusiastic Ichigo as he walked through in his hometown. "Haven't been here in ages. The stadium looks as old and ugly as always." His hands behind his head, Ichigo strutted down the main street of Karakura Town, which ran right past the grand stadium. With him were Uryuu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue.

"It's not ugly, Kurosaki-kun. It's just a little worse for wear, kind of crumbly, umm…"

"Anyway, now that we've eliminated a contestant from the tournament, how do we get you into it?" The abduction went smoothly, Ishida had to give the group that. But entering yourself into a tournament where the Captain-Commander has to select you? That's like asking a cat to play with a dog. Apparently Ichigo had a plan.

"Well, we have Renji on the inside, so we'll stage him finding me sitting around someplace, with the excuse that I'm visiting home. He'll suggest I take Afro Dude's place, and voilà! I'm in! Besides, they can't compete without ten contestants." Ishida wasn't convinced.

"Rukia's here. She'll know you're up to something right away." Ichigo thought about that for a minute. True, she had told him to stay at Soul Society, in her own house even. Ichigo chuckled. He wouldn't trust himself with his own house.

"_So how do I deal with Rukia?" _He thought. Hmm. "We could kidnap her too." He said jokingly.

Ishida stared at the ground for a bit, and then said, "Well, that might work. How would we go about it?" Ichigo's was shocked.

"NO!" He yelled with horror, "I wasn't serious. There's no way we could take Rukia down. She's not a wuss like Afro Guy."

"Well, if you weren't being serious, why did you bring it up?" Ishida shouted back. He was stressed from two things: one, the fear of things going awry and him having to hide from the Shinigami for the rest of his life; two, the fear of a slow, painful death by the wrath of Kuchiki Rukia. The latter was more frightening. Very much more frightening.

"We'll just have to go with the flow on this one, four eyes. Don't worry about it."

Ishida wasn't going to just 'go with the flow' when it came to Kuchiki Rukia.

"Ichigo? What are you doing here?"

Unfortunately for Ishida, he was going to have to wing it Ichigo style.

…

Naruto and Hinata were walking down the main street, shadowed by the massive stadium. The girl looked up to admire it. "I can't believe we're going to fight in there. It'll be like the Chuunin Exam all over again." Her blond haired companion was silent, gazing off into nowhere. Hinata took his hand in hers. "You okay?" He snapped back to life.

"Oh, what?"

"I asked if you were okay," repeated Hinata.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled warmly at Hinata, and squeezed her hand. Hinata wasn't convinced. His smile couldn't hide his problems from her like it could others. Her eyes saw through, even without the power of the Byakugan.

She lowered her eyes from his, looking straight ahead. "Tell me."

"No."

"Please?" She looked back at him again. She pleaded with her eyes, eyes Naruto couldn't resist. He sighed.

"I'm just worried about all of this. I mean, it's just fighting. It's not like we haven't experienced combat before. I just…" his voice trailed off. He was silent for a minute, the only sound being their footsteps in the empty streets. Somewhere, someone could be heard shouting in a tiny female voice.

"I just don't know if I can protect you. I mean, there are rules in this tournament, and I can't come to your side when you need help. What if you get hurt, or worse? I can't lose you, not after Jiraiya."

"Hey," Hinata said softly, "There was nothing you could do. There was no way you could be there for him."

"Exactly" Naruto said somberly. He immediately focused on something other than his memories, and started checking out his surroundings. The couple had come across a city park, peculiarly empty considering the time of day. It was small, being only about 2 blocks square. There were a few trees, a swing-set, and a gazebo in the center. Naruto headed for the gazebo.

He sat down on one of the benches in the small shelter, leaning back to rest his head. He was staring at the ceiling. Hinata walked up to the bench, stopping in front of the melancholy boy. She'd seen him like this before, but it still surprised her to see him so down. She sat next him.

He didn't seem to notice that she was there. Hinata hugged his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"What would you do if I was gone?" She didn't even see him move. All she felt was a rush of wind, his strong embrace, and his head burrowed in her neck.

"I wouldn't be alive anymore," he choked out. Hinata returned his embrace, and started stroking his hair. "I die with you," he whispered.

"Well, you can't," the Hyuuga stated bluntly. Naruto leaned back up and stared straight into her ivory eyes, totally confused. She smiled softly at him. "I know how you'd feel if I was killed, but I can't have you depressed over me forever. I'd feel terrible about myself. I'd want you to be happy and move on if anything ever happened to me. Promise me?" Hinata stared directly into Naruto's deep blue eyes. He held her gaze, no longer confused. He knew what she meant, and he would try his best to do what she wanted.

Naruto nodded. "I promise. I will do my best to fulfill this one." He grinned widely at her. "I guess I can't stay depressed forever."

"Oh Naruto," Hinata giggled. She cupped his face and pressed her lips against his. It was during this kiss that they heard a loud crash. Startled, the two of them scanned the entire area for the source of the sound. Hinata finally spotted a small crater in a building across the street. Laying on the sidewalk beneath the crater was a boy with bright orange hair. "Over there," she pointed. Naruto looked and, seeing the state of the poor boy, he burst into laughter.

"Wow, that brings back memories. That's exactly what Sakura-chan would do to me whenever I was annoying. Man, that was forever ago. Academy days." His expression was pure nostalgia. "Those were the days," he said longingly. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. I was going to ask you about Sakura-chan. It's been a while, and she doesn't seem to remember me. Could you introduce us again?"

By this time a short, dark-haired woman in a black kimono had walked up to the boy sprawled on the ground, and had started kicking his head. The orange haired boy cried out for help.

"Yeah, sure I can introduce you," Hinata said enthusiastically. "She and I are good friends, though Ino is her best friend. I'd watch out for her too, by the way. She can be pretty mischievous when it comes to meeting new guys."

"I'll remember that," said Naruto, grinning. They turned their attention once again the scene of the unfortunate boy being beaten within an inch of his life.

…

"I'm sorry Rukia! I was going to tell you after I got - UGH!" A swift kick to the face cut him short.

"I don't want to hear it, Ichigo. Renji fessed up. He told me that you were here, now you tell me why!" She kicked him in his ribs.

"I'm trying to tell you –GACK!, but you're KICKING ME! STOOOPP!" Ichigo hollered like a dying dog.

"Only after you tell me!" Rukia shouted back. Ichigo rolled out of the way of the next kick, flipped his legs above his head and shoved off with his hands, springing backwards away from the enraged female. He tried to land on the rubble covered ground, only succeeding in slipping on some loose pebbles and landing on his back. The rest of his group ran up behind him, Sado and Ishida helping him up. Once he caught his breath, he proceeded to explain.

"I'm here because I was…..on vacation. After all, I wasn't invited to come to the tournament by Capta—"

"How do you know about the tournament, Ichigo? Who told you?"

"_Yep, he just blew it." _Ishida slapped his head. Why was Kurosaki always such an idiot when it came to Rukia? He sighed, "_Now we're screwed. Might as well start running." _

"Tournament? What tournament? I'm just here on vacation."

"You just said that Captain-Commander didn't invite you to a tournament, Ichigo. Stop playing dumb."

"The Commander is having a tournament? How wonder—"

"ICHIGO!"

"ful….ugh," Ichigo sighed with defeat. "Fine, after Ukitake told us about the confidential mission, I decided I'd figure out what it was. Seeing as the location was in my _hometown, _it wasn't too difficult to find somebody who knew what was going on here. When I found out what it was, I had to get myself in."

"_What, are you just going to tell her everything?" _Ishida was about ready to kill the stupid strawberry.

"How are you planning on getting in?" Rukia asked. She was still staring dangerously at Ichigo, ready to murder him if he gave her an answer she didn't like, which basically summed up all answers.

Ichigo dropped his gaze to a pebble right next to his foot. He started swinging his leg, half-heartedly trying to kick the stone. "Well…"

"Don't tell me, you had something to do with Zennosuke not being at the meeting, didn't you?" Rukia didn't think that Ichigo would be so bold. When he just raised his head and gave a guilty smile, Rukia's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "You did something with Zennosuke?" Ichigo still had the same expression on his face. "Ugh," the short girl growled, "Well, what did you do with him?"

Ichigo looked up at the sky, his countenance shifting from guilt to amusement. "That's a long story."

"Ahem." Everyone turned to the direction where the unexpected noise came from. Standing ominously behind Rukia was Kuchiki Byakuya, with his Lieutenant Abarai Renji cowering sheepishly behind him.

"Well Kurosaki, start talking."

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><p>Author's Note 2: Like I said, it's getting difficult to write this. If anyone has any input concerning how I convey feeling, please review and give me some advice. It was really easy to imagine the scene with Naruto and Hinata, but to convey exactly what I was thinking and feeling while writing it...well, that's another story. One I may write, hehe. So in short, hope you liked it, please review. I know it's tedious, but I do ever so much appreciate your input. You write the story just as much as I do. Thanks!<p> 


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